The Siemens Group relies on edge computing for a printed circuit board cutting system at its plant in Amberg, Bavaria. According to the company, the process-oriented data analysis enables it to reduce the downtimes of its production facilities and thus save annual additional costs of up to 12,000 euros per machine. As the dust generated during the cutting process can cause the system’s spindle bearing to jam, Siemens combines artificial intelligence with cloud-based and process-oriented data evaluation.

The predictive maintenance function allows you to anticipate imminent machine failure by up to 36 hours, meaning that the spindle can be replaced before a defect occurs. Unlike complete data analysis via a public cloud, an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and edge computing can jointly help save costs: digitized manufacturing sensors collect an unmanageable flood of data. In contrast, edge computing enables on-site filtering and only sends the cloud pre-processed datasets for further processing.